Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin slams Labour party amid actors' strike

George R.R. Martin, the author whose book series inspired Game of Thrones, has slammed Labour party for failing to protect actors’ right to strike in the UK.

In a blog post, he said the party needs to “do a better job of protecting workers,” as British filming of various TV shows continues despite the industry having virtually come to a standstill in America.

The Santa Fe, California-based author said he is participating in strikes in the US as part of the writers’ union, the Writers’ Guild of America, and that he supports the more recent actors’ strike organised by union SAG-AFTRA.

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However, he noted that House of the Dragon, HBO’s recent spinoff of the hugely successful Game of Thrones, is still shooting because it is shot mostly in London.

“The actors are members of the British union, Equity, not SAG-AFTRA, and though Equity strongly supports their American cousins (they have a big rally planned to show that support), British law forbids them from staging a sympathy strike,” he said. “If they walk, they have no protection against being fired for breach of contract, or even sued.”

Martin added: “Honestly, I was shocked to hear that. One of the two major UK political parties, Labour, has its roots in the trade union movement. How in the world could they have allowed such anti-labor regulations to be enacted? Seems to me that [the] Labour party really needs to do a better job of protecting the right to strike.”

The 74-year-old also revealed that his personal deal with HBO was suspended on 1 June, as he continues working to complete the series of novels that inspired the TV series’.

Martin said he had joined “several pickets here in New Mexico. So far as I know, all the shows shooting here have shut down.”

“I still have plenty to do, of course,” he continued. “In that, I am one of the lucky ones. (These strikes are not really about name writers or producers or showrunners, most of whom are fine; we’re striking for the entry level writers, the story editors, the students hoping to break in, the actor who has four lines, the guy working his first staff job who dreams of creating his own show one day, as I did back in the 80s).”

He added: “It keeps me out of trouble.”

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